The Greek Magical Papyri
- Date of account
- approximately 2nd century BCE–5th century CE
- Location
- Egypt, especially the Theban and Oxyrhynchus regions
- Source
- model_recalled_reference
- Record updated
- 2026-10-10
Record summary
The Greek Magical Papyri are a diverse group of ritual manuscripts containing invocations, spells, prayers, recipes, divination procedures, voces magicae, and instructions involving Egyptian, Greek, Jewish, and other religious elements. They provide unusually concrete evidence for written magical practice in late antique Egypt, including dream divination and ritual communication with gods or spirits. The manuscripts are fragmentary, unevenly edited, and often difficult to date or contextualize. Their instructions document historical ritual culture, not verified efficacy or a single coherent magical system.
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